Good Sameritan

So tomorrow is mine and Jared's 12th anniversary!  Yeah!  Jared really likes to celebrate in a memorable way and this year I am in charge of coming up with what we are going to do to celebrate; well in years past we have celebrated by going to a Yankees game at the Yankees stadium, we have spent the night at Anniversary Inn, bought new bedroom furniture and a new TV, had dinner at five star restaurants and last year we stayed at Grand America and spent the day at City Creek and Temple Square, they have all been wonderful, some better than others, but they have set a precedent that is hard to follow and this is my first official year to be in charge.  I have procrastinated coming up with something fun to do, and I also inflicted a budget that I had to work with this year.  Well I finally came up with a day at Lagoon, we haven't been for many years so hopefully it will be fun.  I wanted to make it a bit more special so the boys and I put together a gift to put in Jared's car while he was at work, the gift was a little decorative can filled with Tootsie Rolls and Banana Laffy Taffy's that had a note saying Hey "Tootsie",  We've been on a "Roll" for 12 years now.  I'd go "Banana's" if you go celebrate the ups and downs of the past 12 years with me by going to Lagoon and riding the "Roll"ercoasters.  We'll have a great time "Laffy"ing the day away."  Something like that. 

So Brandon, Grant and I set off to put the gift in his car and to color on his windows with window markers.  The boys had so much fun making cards for Jared and coloring the car windows, and it was so fun to be sneaky.  When we were done Brandon announced that he needed to go potty, and could not wait one more minute, UG!  Well I wasn't about to take him to Jared's office, that would spoil the surprise, so we went next door to 7-11.  When they were finished they of course wanted a treat. (you have to understand my history with 7-11, it's a big deal in my family, because of my dad who would treat us to one small treat every Saturday that we "worked" with him at his office, my boys know the stories and have been begging to go to 7-11 so here we were, what was I to do?)  I agreed and they both chose donuts, not surprising, that is what I would always choose too.  Well I got them each a donut and a nice lady commented and how fun it was for me to do this for them.  Then we go to the check out line and I begin looking for my wallet - IT'S NOT THERE - I left it at home when I was buying the Lagoon tickets.  What was I to do, I couldn't put the donuts back, I had touched them with my hands, but I couldn't buy them either.  Brandon suggested that we just sneak out then we can have them without paying, I explained the serious error in his thought, and wouldn't you know it the very same lady who had chatted with me a few minutes before was behind me in the line offering to buy them for me.  I was still mortified, but also so very grateful!  How do you thank someone enough when they do something like that for you?  The boys and I left and got in the car and my boys pined for a whole box of donuts, so I explained the significance of what had just happen, of how thoughtful and kind this stranger had been to us, and how grateful we should be for the donuts we got.  I wonder if she still thought it was a fun idea, when she had to pay for it?

As I was explain this to my boys I realized how similar this experience was to the Atonement.  Here we are on earth frequently succumbing to temptations of the natural man (taking donuts that we can not pay for).  Heavenly Father is a just God and has said that no man who has sinned can enter his kingdom (can't leave the store with purchased donuts).  Satan is ready to claim us for himself, demanding payment for our sins (the store clerk).  We are stuck, nothing for us to do, and then comes Jesus Christ, perfect, the Son of God, ready and so willing to suffer and pay for our sins, if we will just repent, accept His gift, and show gratitude for His gift (the kind lady behind me offering to pay for the donuts, a gift which allows me freedom to leave the store).

I am so very grateful for good people who do things out of the goodness of their heart.  I am even more grateful for the grace of Jesus Christ, my Savior and for His Atonement.  Again I wonder, How do you thank someone when they do something like that for you - there was nothing I could give this lady, but a sincere thank you (although I did consider offering fruit snacks for a minute), and in truth, there is nothing I can give or do to thank Jesus Christ for His gift, but to accept the gift, be sincerely grateful, and try harder every day to submit my will to His will.

Fishing and Unwelcome House Guests

Last Saturday we went for a family adventure up Lake Creek hoping to find a small lake and camping site that we want to try out this summer.  We drove as far as we could and then the snow stopped us from going further, so we turned around and stopped at this little pond to do a little exploring.  It was beautiful!  Jared and Brandon had a good time tromping through the trees (though I am sure they will think twice before they do it again - I'll tell you why at the end of the post). 

 Grant and I stayed on the path and had fun throwing rocks in the pond -Grant is hard wired to search for good throwing rocks when he finds any body of water, so funny!

 After exploring this little pond, we drove across town to Wasatch State Park to let the boys fish.  Grant got his own fishing pole for his birthday and he has been talking about going fishing for some time now.  And of course Brandon had so much fishing with his dad last year that he could hardly wait to go again.  Brandon had a GREAT time, Grant enjoyed it for a little while and then was done.

 How cute are these boys sitting on the bank waiting for their fish to bite. :)

 Well it took a while to catch the first fish, but it was so worth the wait.  Brandon caught the first one, and Grant was so happy for him, the video is darling if you listen for Grants voice.

 I absolutely love Brandon's face every time he caught a fish, his full smile, dimples and all, is so precious!

 After the first fish, Grant was next to catch a fish, You can barely hear him, but he is giggling as he tries to real it in.

 Grant thought fishing was great, right up until we asked him to hold the fish for a picture, he was not having it, he didn't even want to get near it, he didn't like it splashing him.  So after his first fish he was less enthusiastic about fishing.  Brandon and Jared however were hooked :) and they could have fished all day long if Grant and I would have let them.

 We caught six fish in all in just a couple of hours of fishing.  We discovered what they like for bait, and while we are not super proud of it, we are happy that it lends to a great experience for Brandon.  We use garlic power bait - I am still surprised that my somewhat snobby fisher man of a husband has agreed to use power bait, but I am glad for it, because if Brandon because as enthusiastic about fishing Jared will have a great fishing companion!

 This is my effort to help Grant hold the fish he caught, I had a death grip on Grant and the fish to get this shot, fortunately both the fish and Grant recovered. :)

 Jared was especially pleased that we were able to catch and release all of our fish successfully, although we did have a few close calls.

Okay - so fast forward to Sunday morning; Jared is getting ready for his first meeting and finds a tick near his left arm pit - Gross!  After a bit of panic we call our Bishop who is a camping expert and ask how to get the tick out.  Jared succeeds, and after looking on line learns that it is wise to save the tick incase you do get a disease so that you can show it to your doctor.  So Jared puts the tick in the lid of some medicine and proceeds to get ready and leave for his meeting.  On his way to his meeting he calls me and asks me to go put the tick in a baggy and put the medicine away before the boys can get into it.  I promptly go to handle the nasty task only to discover that the tick is not there, I hunt everywhere, I call Jared, he is sure that is where it is, I hunt again, it is gone.  That pest of a tick has up and walked away and is now living somewhere in my bathroom!!!!!!  Not only is there a tick living in my bathroom, but Grant has had diarrhea twice that morning, and he is potty training so both poorly contained in underwear.  I had been cleaning carpets all morning, and now I HAD to clean my bathroom.  I scoured the bathroom, hoping the chemicals would kill it off.  I felt much better after and then somehow managed to get both boys and myself bathed and ready for church in time.  What a morning! 

Fast forward again to Monday night; Jared and I are getting both boys ready for bed and Jared sees a tick (we are pretty sure this is a different one because it seems a bit bigger) crawling up his shirt, well in the chaos, the tick gets lost, did it fall on the carpet, did in land inside his shirt pocket, or maybe it managed its way inside Jared's shirt and is setting up camp?  We don't know.  So again I am on a mad hunt for a tiny tick.  That night Grant wakes me up because he has thrown up all over his bedding and bedroom floor.  So Tuesday morning I begin cleaning.  I must have done 10 loads of laundry, I emptied, sanitized and reorganized every kitchen cupboard.  I dusted every possible surface, I scrubbed the boys bathroom, and hoped and prayed that I had killed every germ and tick that had been trying to attack my family!  I think it worked because Grant seems to be much better and we have not had any more run ins with microscopic blood sucking pests!

Hopefully now we have learned that if we are going on family adventures that involve us traipsing through the woods we will wear sunscreen AND bug repellent with Deet!

Tulip Festival

For several years I have wanted to go to the tulip festival, I love tulips and I love spring, so I was thrilled to finally be able to go.  My mom, grandma and Chandler joined my and the boys and we had a wonderful time.  The flowers and gardens are simply beautiful!

Cake Decorating

For a YW activity a few weeks ago Janet taught the girls how to decorate cakes.  It was so much fun, and we had two cakes left over so I thought I would let the boys try their hand at cake decorating.  They had so much fun doing this activity, I wish it wasn't so unhealthy, I would do the activity more often. :)  They really had so much fun I took far too many pictures and still can not decided which ones I like the best. :)